


goal!

by hyunlvr



Series: tbz valentines [1]
Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Valentine's Day Fluff, but mostly sunwoo panicking, eric is a ballboy, ok cmon theres some plot in it, other characters only mentioned!, sunwoo plays football
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29334900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyunlvr/pseuds/hyunlvr
Summary: sunwoo loses his focus during a football match when the ballboy turns out to be his secret crush, that he kicks a ball in his crush's face and oh no! he's bleeding.
Relationships: Kim Sunwoo/Son Youngjae | Eric
Series: tbz valentines [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2154711
Comments: 6
Kudos: 76





	goal!

**Author's Note:**

> happy early valentines day! this is my first sunric fic so i took a little more time to explore their dynamics. im sorry for the delay ugh!!! this is part 1 of a three part series but i don't know if we'll make it to three parts (maybe 2 cause i'm busy as hell) but please enjoy this short work of mine for valentines!
> 
> comments and kudos are greatly appreciated <3 also if there are any mistakes, im sorry in advance :-)

“Can someone go get Haknyeon on the pitch already? We are only left 15 mins to the start and if he doesn’t get here right now, he’s not going to have the time to warm up!” 

“Give him a sec. He told me he’s reaching!” Hyunjae says hurriedly, eyes darting back and forth his phone screen and his captain who was now fuming with anger. Yes, Sunwoo has a lack of patience but he can’t help it, especially since it was the day of the semi-finals of the football tournament. He was never the captain who would pick on every single thing but tardiness was an exception and his teammates were made sure to never be late, be it for trainings or matches.

Soon Haknyeon is seen emerging from the bleachers, panting heavily as he struggles with his duffel bag that looked like it was pulling his entire weight down. “Carry on with the warm up” Sunwoo says as he storms off in a huff,taking heavy steps towards Haknyeon who was now trying to get changed into his boots. “He’s pissed for sure” his teammates whispered as they watch him take off. No one could blame Sunwoo for being extra sensitive today when the whole school had high hopes for him, for the team. 

“If you’re gonna be this late, don’t play for-” he stops when he spots a figure fidgeting on the spot beside Haknyeon who was struggling to put on his shin guards, “and who is this? You know we don’t allow outsiders in the locker room”, speaking louder, hoping the stranger who had bright blonde hair, would get the hint. He observes his words taking effect on the stranger when the stranger freezes almost immediately as soon as he starts talking.

“Oh, Sunwoo, really sorry I was late because I had to fetch him from class” pointing to the stranger, who was still frozen to the ground with back facing Sunwoo. “He’s the ballboy for today. Coach had recommended him since Minho, our usual, called in sick. Well, now that you’re here, I’ll leave you to brief him while I go warm up.” Haknyeon pats Sunwoo on the shoulder as he proceeds to run on the field. 

It was quiet for a while, literally anyone would sense the awkwardness in the air. “Uh sorry your name?”, a slight tinge of guilt creeping up his chest, realising how he just snapped at a stranger who was playing an important role in today's match.   
  


It takes a few seconds for the stranger to turn around shyly, head hanging low. “E-eric Sohn. I’m sorry I made Haknyeon late” he says as he squints his eye shut, avoiding Sunwoo’s piercing gaze. “Eric?” the sudden question makes the other look up in surprise, “Oh, you might know me because we share some classes together!” he starts saying in a triumphantly joyful manner, trying to lighten the atmosphere while the football captain still had a serious look on his face.

“No, I don’t.” Sunwoo answers sternly.

“Oh..”

Sunwoo shakes his head and sighs before giving the other a basic briefing, a minute to be exact. As he turns to walk away, ready to join his team back on the field, he mutters a soft “That was close…” under his breath. 

Okay enough lying, he knows Eric, a little more than he was supposed to actually. Who wouldn’t, when the other was, as Sunwoo loves to call him, ‘a ray of sunshine in this dark face of the earth’. He was cheerful, loud and exceptionally sociable seeing how he knows half of the football team, except Sunwoo of course. On the other hand, the always so dead serious Sunwoo, was the complete opposite. To put it simply, if Eric wore bright pastel pink clothing, Sunwoo would wear his usual black-with-a-pinch-of-red outfit which simply represents their polar opposite combination. 

He can’t help it, Sunwoo can’t help but notice the cheerful Eric each time he enters the classroom that seeing the other’s smile, makes his day. Call him sappy, call him whipped, but you can’t fault a man in love. And now that he finally made some progress in trying to get noticed by his crush, he obviously screwed up his one and only opportunity which he regrets but at least his crush was now watching him from the side, and it clouds his mind, just thinking of it.

It was 5 minutes before the start of the game. He made sure to fix his hair a little, though he knew how useless that was, and ask around a few “how do i look” to his teammates who just gave him judging expressions in response. 

The crowd soon fills up the bleachers and the game starts. Despite knowing his crush was watching every move of his on the field, he was more worried about the other being worn out from having to pick up balls especially when it was his first time. Running around and picking up balls was obviously more tiring than playing the sport itself. Suddenly, he feels bad for briefing the other with just a “if you’re a ballboy, basically common sense tells you, you just have to pick balls up each time it flies out. Just be quick, you don’t want the whole pitch waiting for you”.  _ Kim Sunwoo, you’re such a jerk I swear to God. Cupid won’t ever be proud of you. _

He was sure to take a few quick glances in the other’s direction, just making sure Eric was doing fine and when he spots the other panting, gasping for air while frantically wiping his sweat, his heart aches. Unlike the Sunwoo who never loses focus on the pitch ever, today he was disturbed by the fact Eric was panting a little too much, disturbed by the fact Eric had to go run after the balls these incompetent players had to kick out. One time, when Changmin, the team’s midfielder kicks the ball out of the field, Sunwoo shouts at him.

“Why must you kick it out? Do you know how far the ball flew? The pitch is right here!” pointing to the ground exaggeratingly.

“What? I didn’t have a choice, if not the opponent would have gotten past us and scored a goal” Changmin snaps back as he rolls his eyes angrily, storming off.

Changmin wasn’t wrong. It was what Sunwoo would have done if Eric wasn’t here. But Eric was here alright. Sunwoo misses a few balls as the opponents get past him which earns him a whopping scolding from their coach but quickly regains his focus when he sees Eric giving him a look of encouragement. When their eyes meet, Sunwoo swears he sees a smile on the other’s face and suddenly, Sunwoo is motivated to try harder and by harder, Sunwoo means getting slightly too rough, that he kicks the ball powerfully in Eric’s direction and it hits the other’s face while Eric was tying his shoelaces. Talk about fucking timing.

When he realises, the other was already lying flat unconscious on the field, blood dripping out of his nose. Everyone gasped but before anyone could even get near there, Sunwoo had zoomed past the referees and the players that were headed towards Eric's direction. 

“Eric! Eric??” shaking the shoulders of the unconscious boy who had blood all over his philtrum. “Oh god oh god” he says as he panics looking at the amount of blood. But before the medical team could even arrive to nurse the unconscious boy, Sunwoo had already lifted him up bridal-style before making a run to the infirmary. 

“Sunwoo, Kim Sunwoo where are you going!” the coach shouts at the red-head who was already headed indoors. The team was obviously not going to be able to function the same without their captain and star-player, seeing how they are left with 10 minutes. That earned him a few confused and worried expressions from his teammates who were left shocked at how their captain was acting because the usual Kim Sunwoo would stay on the pitch until the match was over even when there was an injured teammate.

“Isn’t he overreacting a little too much? The last time when Jacob fractured his leg, he didn’t even bat an eye and Jacob is his best friend?” Juyeon, the team’s other midfielder, asks questionably which earns him a few nods from the others. 

\--

“Please tell me he’s fine? Is he? Do I need to send him to the hospital? Is he going to wake up? Has the bleeding stopped? Is anything broken?” Sunwoo rambles as he watches the staff on duty checks up on the still unconscious Eric. “Your boyfriend?”

Sunwoo flushes, “Huh, what. No?”

“You seem extremely worried for just a friend.” the staff giggles. “He’s fine. A little dehydrated. Nothing’s broken thankfully but it did leave him with a swollen nose. Make sure no heaty food and not put too much pressure on the nose alright” she flashes a reassuring smile before leaving the 2 for some alone time. 

Sunwoo doesn’t even realise that he was holding his breath until he exhales a warm breath. He walks a little closer to observe Eric who was still unconscious. Sunwoo knows Eric was beautiful but now that he’s in front of the man who was peacefully sleeping, he learns to appreciate Eric’s fine, fresh features a little more. His flawless double eyelids, perfect pointed nose and the tinted pink lips. Sunwoo was beyond whipped.

He starts picking out the pieces of grass that were stuck on the other’s blonde hair but finds his hands resting there for a while more as he caresses the blonde locks of Eric’s. He was busy admiring his crush but he stops when he sees the other’s eyes staring at him rather playfully. Sunwoo freezes before he retracts his hand at lightning speed. 

“Do you want me to pretend to not notice that you were just caressing my head a minute ago?”

Sunwoo has his back facing the other out of embarrassment. He mutters a soft yes before he starts walking towards the door. “I’m going back to the pitch now that you’re okay. My team needs me” he mumbles quickly.

“Ouch!” Eric utters a yelp which has Sunwoo rushing to his side in a split second. “What? What? Where does it hurt? Your nose? Shit let me call the staff” and he was turning around again to run off but stopped when the other holds his wrist tightly. “It’s not my nose relax”

“It’s my heart” Eric boldly says. A second later, he bursts into laughter when he sees Sunwoo’s face all flustered and red. “But for real, my heart hurt a little when you said you were leaving. Also don’t lie, the match finished 5 minutes ago, if I remembered correctly.”

It’s true Sunwoo was lying all along just so he could escape the other. It was already hard for him each time they had to be in the same classroom. Imagine how hard it was for him now that he was trapped between the curtains which gave them privacy from the other beds in the infirmary.

“I-I am sorry for kicking the ball in your face. I swear it was unintentional” he says softly, like a kitten.

“Come again? I can’t hear you. The ball must have shocked my eardrums now that I can’t really hear you. Will you come closer?”.

Sunwoo obliges and shuffles closer to the other who is now sitting up before he naturally takes a seat on the side of the bed.

What he doesn’t expect is for the other to come even closer now that his ear was right in front of Sunwoo’s face. The close proximity makes Sunwoo internally panic a little but before he could even move back, Eric has his hand on his arm. “I SAID IM SORRY” he shouts a little too loud, that the other falls back.

“Jesus, that was extremely loud Sunwoo. Not appreciated, not cute” Eric growls.

“Huh? Oh- uh anyways why did you even bother agreeing to Haknyeon?” he tries to avert the topic.

Literally no one would volunteer being a ballboy. Standing in the sun was one thing but having to run after balls that were shot out way too far was another. Eric ponders for a little. “Well I thought it was a good idea. Good for my future.” he smiles.

“Good idea? Being a ballboy? And what good does it bring to your future? You gonna put it in your portfolio or something?” Sunwoo scoffs giving a disbelieving look to the other who now looked a little more serious.

Eric tears away from Sunwoo’s piercing stare. “Maybe because I thought I could impress you and you’re always in your best mood after matches.” Sunwoo takes a while to process the words before he turns to look away when he feels the heat in his ears.  _ How does he know I’m always in the best mood after matches? Wait he wants to impress me? _ “And if I impress you, that would be good for my future? You get what I’m saying?.

Sunwoo answers with an awkward laughter before he stands up to walk away as he feels the rapid heartbeat in his chest that was too awfully strong that he couldn’t even take a proper breath without hiccuping. It’s done, his heart was way out of control. “What are you even saying ha-ha. Why would you need to impress me hah I’m not even your captain” he shoos the other.

“Well you can be…”

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING” the sudden rise in volume shocks the other on the stretcher a little, that Eric’s expression became darker in just seconds. 

“God stop shouting at me. Okay-okay chill. Didn’t have to reject me like that.” Sunwoo watches him get out of the bed while wincing in pain when his arm accidentally hits the bridge of his nose which makes him flinch, about to run to the other’s side but he stops himself. “I’m-I’m not rejecting you. Why would I reject you?” he defensively answers.

Eric has his mouth agape now,in shock. “You’re not rejecting me?” he excitedly exclaims.

Of course Sunwoo wouldn’t since he’s been secretly stealing glances at the other during History modules. He wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity though he’s barely done anything to court Eric which makes him totally dumbfounded why the other decided to confess. He was on cloud nine and his self esteem had doubled in a matter of seconds.  _ Guess these looks didn’t go to waste,  _ he says under his breath. “Yeah I like you too.” Sunwoo says shyly, head hung low to hide the blush that was creeping up his cheeks.

“Good I thought you wouldn’t want me in your team. You know, I’ve been dying to join the football team. This means a lot to me Sunwoo.” Eric grips his shoulder.

And in a matter of seconds, Sunwoo’s smile falters. “Foo-football team?” he stutters in confusion, “this was all to get into the football team? You wanted to impress me to join the football team? Impress me as in impress the football team captain and not impress me, Kim Sunwoo?” Sunwoo asks as he inched closer and closer towards the other who had a perplexed expression. Eric nods confusingly before he walks out with trouble, trying to find his balance probably because of the probing headache, effect of the painkiller. But, he stops halfway at the exit and takes one glance back.

“Aren’t you going?” asking the Sunwoo who stood rooted to the ground, eyes not blinking and just staring far into space. “You’re not gonna impress me as Kim Sunwoo if you’re not going to send me home” he grins before Sunwoo rushes over. “Yeah, yeah I’ll send you home of course”. He had to, after all he was the one who gave the other a swollen nose.

The walk back home was tough for Sunwoo who had to constantly ensure the safety of the blonde who stumbled a few times. At first, Sunwoo hesitated but he ended up asking the other to put his arm over his shoulder so he wouldn’t lose his balance anymore. Their faces were too close that left Sunwoo feeling suffocated the whole time. Obviously, since he was holding his breath the whole time.

“Hey get on my back instead. I’ll carry you” he suggests, like the strong man he is. Eric instantly complies, getting on his back. For a moment, Sunwoo regrets his decision because what good would it bring you, having your crush on your back, giving you a back hug. And to add on, him breathing into your ears with his chin on your shoulders. Clearly not beneficial to Sunwoo. Not at all. “You know, you hit my nose so I have no reason to be stumbling every 5 minutes right. My legs are perfectly fine”.

Sunwoo stops walking before he tilts his head to the side to have a better look at Eric. Sunwoo regrets it now that he’s seeing Eric so up close, that he feels Eric’s breaths on his face. He regrets it. “So uh what are you doing on my back?”

“Well you can put me down if you want” Eric proudly answers.

“I- well don’t want to though” Sunwoo feels like slapping himself for saying that. Just what on earth was he thinking.

  
“Good, I don’t want to either.” Eric gives a teasing smile while he wrapped his arms around Sunwoo a little tighter. 

This was probably Sunwoo’s 100th time being flustered in a day and he was not going to let Eric see his bright red cheeks so he settled on keeping his gaze forward, face away from the other. Although a part of him was dying to know just what Eric meant.  _ No, Sunwoo. Something’s stupid gonna come out of your mouth again,  _ his subconscious mind tells him. And so he continues walking, with Eric still on his back. He would’ve complained if it was anyone else. Hell it was already tiring walking upslope but now with an additional weight of a person on your back, it would have been pure hell for Sunwoo if it wasn’t Eric, that is. But because it was Eric, the long arduous walk felt like a walk in the park that was filled with cherry blossoms around him in spring. 

The other, on the other hand, was busy enjoying the cool night breeze as he hummed melodiously. The humming did warm Sunwoo’s heart a little, considering he’s never been ‘this’ close to his crush before and he’s never really heard the other’s soothing voice. Thinking of it, Sunwoo has never ever initiated a conversation with his so-called ‘crush’ because he’s busy living up to his “panicked gay” status as Changmin loves to put it. Eric did come up to him several times, but being the Sunwoo he is, he would always dodge the bullet by making Hyunjae talk instead or run off without batting an eye. He stops getting lost in his thoughts when Eric’s humming stops, making him question. “Why did you stop humming?”.  _ Yeah, that was really weird, Sunwoo. _

“Sunwoo” Eric starts, “do you want to date me?”

The instant reaction from a normal person would be to be shocked, definitely, Sunwoo’s shocked too. But he’s different. Sunwoo was shocked till the point he instantly dropped the other from his back on the cold concrete ground before he turned back worriedly to face the boy who was now on the ground growling in pain.

“What the hell.. Is that your way of saying no?” Eric growls. Sunwoo stood in horror watching him before he snap out of his trance to help the other get up. “Yes…, i mean not as in yes but like yes I would love to”

“Love to say no to me?”

“No as in, would love to date you” Sunwoo blurts out before he turns his back to look away from Eric.

“OH MY GOD REALLY?” Eric rushes to his side but Sunwoo continues to keep his face away from the other, that they were now going in circles with Eric trying his best to get Sunwoo to face him. “Why are you not looking at me?”.

“I’m shy” he answers in a small voice. Who would expect the tough soccer captain to be this shy though. “Bu-but did you really want to join the school’s football team?” Sunwoo says as he finally reveals his flustered face to the other.

“Are you crazy? I’m the captain of the baseball team! I don’t know about you but even though I’m head over heels for you, I’m really not the type to ditch my teammates for a guy” Eric grins, his answer making Sunwoo laugh a little.

“Besides, I don’t want to be playing under a strict captain like you” he teases as he runs off, tongue sticking out to disturb Sunwoo a little more.

“What are you even saying?” 

They teased, they laughed, they played a little more and Sunwoo decides that he cherished the time they spent together that night. He did feel regretful for not being there for the last 10 minutes of his game and for being the cause of Eric’s swollen nose but he’ll deal with all that tomorrow. All that meaning dealing with the coach's scolding, Juyeon's complaints, Hyunjae prying into his love life and Changmin's interrogation. But for now, he just wants to live in the moment.

“Okay, take your time being shy today but don’t be shy tomorrow” Eric speaks as he stands a little closer to Sunwoo before they parted ways. Then he tilts his head to the side and whispers in Sunwoo's red ears, “Happy Valentines by the way captain”. He wasn’t going to be single this Valentines and just like always, Sunwoo's scored a splendid goal yet again, just a bigger one this time.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading till the end <3 
> 
> you can hmu on twitter/cc @jokerbear913 !! leave kudos and comments if you liked it :))


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